Posts Tagged ‘clay’

On March 13, 2018, the Adams County Arts Council hosted a beautiful event at the Gettysburg Hotel to celebrate their 25th Anniversary and to honor the people who have played a key role in its evolution over the past 25 years. Jack Handshaw was one of those special people who was presented with a 2018 Applause award.

Jack discovered ceramics at a young age, growing up in Chambersburg. He credits his persistence with the medium to two special teachers, who pushed him to explore and improve on his work with clay. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Army and became an arts and crafts instructor at Fort Dix. During this time, he also attended night classes at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia.

When he was honorably discharged in 1978, Jack set up a studio in North Philly, but he dreamed of building an outdoor kiln in the country. That dream came true the following year, when he bought an 18th century log home on Mount Hope and established Hobbitt House Pottery. He’s been making and selling pottery there ever since.

His work is part of the Nicodemus Center for Ceramic Arts’ Series and has been recognized with numerous awards at our Juried Exhibition. His trademark figural pieces always bring a smile to your face.

Jack has been a great supporter of the Arts Council for 25 years. “I was interested and involved since the beginning,” says Jack. “It made sense. It was like a marriage.” Long before ACAC opened its Arts Education Center (AEC), Jack offered classes at Hobbitt House to benefit the organization. He’s been a fixture at artist events from Art at the Winery to the Holiday Market.

A natural born teacher, he enjoys passing along his knowledge of the wheel and hand building to students of all ages. When ACAC began theImagination Station, he encouraged families to come to classes together to make pottery. His classes and summer camps are always popular, and are now held in a workshop at the AEC that he helped to design and that he continues to oversee.

Meet Wendy Heiges, Program and Gallery Director at the Adams County Arts Council (ACAC). Her dedication and passion not only for the arts but also for the students who benefit from arts programming are inspiring.

Question:You started with ACAC first as a volunteer, then joined the executive board and became co-coordinator of classes held at the Imagination Station on Carlisle St., and then you moved to your current staff position when ACAC moved to the Arts Education Center seven years ago. What have been your fondest memories/greatest accomplishments?

Wendy: I’m grateful to have had a chance to work with and promote outstanding artist/instructors in our community and to contribute, as the Program & Gallery Director of the ACAC, to the growth and sustainability of the arts through public classes and gallery events over the past 10 years.

Question: Why should someone support the ACAC’s ABC campaign?

Wendy: Investing time and money through art enrichment programs for children allows them to keep a school mindset during summer downtime, as well as cultivate and enrich their mind, social skills, boost their math and science skills, and dream time. Studies show that there is a community need for after-school and summer camp programs which help children thrive. The ACAC’s summer camps provide hands-on art enrichment opportunities in an encouraging, small classroom environment with professional instruction.

Question: Why are the arts important to you?

Wendy: The arts help my sense of well-being flourish, give me purpose, and add beauty and value to my everyday life.

Question: What do the arts do to enhance a community?

Wendy: The arts transcend age, gender, socio-economic background, and experience. When a person picks up a paint brush, handles a mound of clay, sings a song, dances, or takes a picture, their world for that moment is magical, and the possibilities seem boundless. The arts contribute to a vibrant community by encouraging diversity and by giving anyone who would like to shine a chance and a place to do so.

Question: Why should someone take a class at the ACAC at any age?

Wendy: I believe the classes at the ACAC are developed to provide the opportunity for anyone who would like to learn a creative skill in a comfortable and welcoming environment to do so. Cultivating your inner artist makes whatever else you do better. You feel better, and when you feel better, you approach other tasks at hand with a new sense of joy and purpose. You don’t have to be a professional artist to reap the benefits of the arts. Take a class at the Arts Education Center and see where it takes you!

If you go back to the Greeks and Romans, they talk about all three – wine, food, and art – as a way of enhancing life.

~Robert Mondavi

On September 20, Hauser Estate Winery will host the 5th annual Art at the Winery, a large outdoor art show featuring art, music, demonstrations and wine. Every year, members of the Adams County Arts Council come up the hill to present their works of art in this tranquil and beautiful setting. The event is free and open to the public, and includes live music and demonstrations. Art, great food, and wine can be purchased.

Gloria Saloky will be demonstrating Belly Dancing from 1:30-2:00 p.m. and Erica Woodworth will be doing a wheel throwing demonstration from 3:30-4:00 p.m.

Along with paintings and pottery, there will be Plein Art Artist painting the fabulous Hauser Estate scenery.

Wander around, gaze, sip, and listen to music by Ron Nicodemus from 2-3:30. There may be a priceless work of art waiting for you to take home and enhance your life!

There’s been a crispness to the mornings recently, signaling the transition from summer to fall. Fall is my favorite time of year. I often bound forward into the autumn without looking back. However, this year seems a bit harder — How do you leave behind such a wonderful summer? ACAC Education Coordinator Wendy Heiges orchestrated a phenomenal summer of creative camps for our community. With all of the offerings, ACAC received glowing evaluations and cheers for wonderful teachers and projects. We’re so grateful for the treasures created and shared with the ACAC by our community of teachers and students. ACAC hosted 35 camps this summer for students ranging in ages from 3 to 15. Offerings included work with clay, paint, textiles, performing arts and culinary arts.

The pace in the halls of the Education Center will change with the seasons, of course. The mornings might be a bit quieter with children in school rather than cooking in our kitchen and dancing in the studio, but there’s plenty in store at ACAC for the fall, too. If your kids are back at school and you have some free time during the day, or if you need a break in the evening, you may want to check out a painting class. Can’t commit to a class over several weeks? Drop in for yoga on a Friday morning, join us for a paint and wine night, or register for the upcoming culinary event featuring Food 101’s Chef, Jennifer Williams, the local produce of 5 Points Market, RelishThis, Wine pairings by Caryl Schmitz and dessert by Beeman’s Bakery. This farm-to-table class and celebration, scheduled for October 8 from 6-8 p.m., is sure to be a deliciously fun evening, and it’s just one of many special events ACAC has planned for the fall. Call 334-5006 or keep checking the web site for more information.

And of course, the halls will be bustling after 3 pm with plenty of after-school opportunities for our younger students. There’s never a shortage of creative activities to engage the kids after school. Click here for a list of after-school offerings.

As we transition from summer to fall, we thank you for your support and participation in the community treasure that is the Adams County Arts Council.

While exploring the gully and stream behind her childhood home at the age of five, Sally Becker found clay. Over 50 years later, her Iron Blue Gully Studio sits above that very clay deposit. The iron-rich, bluish clay is a reminder of her first experiences with nature and art, inspiring her work, along with the memories, landscapes and history of her childhood home.

Sally’s mother was not a professional artist, but believed in the importance of art, and shared that belief with her children. Sally took art classes outside of school, and developed the philosophy that art is good for everyone from an early age. Later, she took many courses in clay, as well as drawing, painting and photography, while working toward her BFA at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She went on for a Masters in Education from Penn State, which she credits with improving her effectiveness as a teacher. An elementary and high school art teacher for 40 years, Sally describes herself as the jack of many trades, working in a variety of media.

Sally retired from teaching two years ago, which has opened up opportunities to work in her studio. Ten years ago, she began exploring Encaustic painting, a medium of hot wax and pigment, which originated in ancient Rome. She was able to study this medium with Michael Campbell at Shippensburg University.

There’s a lot of clay in her studio, too, but she often mixes media: clay sculptures often have images carved into them, or she will draw with colored slips. She also enjoys drawing with pastels, ink, pencil and graphite. “When I retired, I thought I would start this studio for the fun of it,” Sally says. “But I’m beginning to think there’s more. I am continually drawn to what’s around me where I grew up, landscapes, memories, animals, historical aspects of the farm. I want my family to see these things and remember from my point of view. I want to find a way to get people to think; to make them stop and look.”

It makes sense that this urge to inspire people to notice the beauty around them is still with her after 40 years of teaching. Fortunately for our community, Sally continues to share her inspiration and skill teaching classes at the Adams County Arts Council. This session, she is teaching Beginning Drawing and Introduction to Soft Pastels. This summer, she will offer two camps: Turn Songs into Paintings, for ages 8-10 from June 8-12, and 3D Architectural and Figurative Sculpture, for ages 11-14 from June 22-26. Her work can also be seen at numerous ACAC Exhibits and Instructors’ Shows throughout the year… including clay pieces inspired by a 5-year old’s delightful discovery.